Deep in the Småland woods of Sweden, there is a “forest-based perfumery” where perfume brand Koyia invites customers to “pay” by spending 599 seconds being still in nature instead of paying 599 Swedish kroner to buy the perfume. It’s a powerful statement and unique idea that’s quickly going viral, and there are several reasons why it works:
“Because the consumer must give something finite and deeply personal — their time — the perfume feels earned. This creates stronger attachment and loyalty … Koyia positions itself as a cultural thought leader, not just a fragrance house. They’re essentially saying: we decide what matters, and we believe time with nature is more precious than money.”
The idea of paying with time is one that could work in other situations as well for the same reasons outlined above. Like many smart marketing campaigns, the scale comes from the people who hear about it and consider the product as a result even while those who actually make it to that forest to experience the stillness for themselves is probably quite low in numbers.